Spiral-pipe machine



2 Sheets-Sheet INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYJ K. J. THQRSBY SPIRAL PIPE MACHINE Filed NOV. '7, 1927 Dec. 17, 1929.

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K. J. THORSBY SPIRAL PIPE MACHINE Filed NOV. 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A44 M. m g

BY 732% mm A TTORNEYS Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I KARL J'OHAN THORSBY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CALIFORNIA COR- RU'GATED CULVTERT COMPANY, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, -A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA SPIRAL-PIPE MACHINE Application filed November 7, 1927. Serial No. 231,654.

My invention relates to apparatus for making spiral pipe by winding a sheet of metal or other similar material helically into tubular form.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple machine capable of handling heavy sheet steel swiftly and accurately. A second object is to provide simple adjustments to enable the machine to make ipe of various sizes. A' still further obect is to provide means for supporting and guiding the formed pipe as it leaves the machine. These and other objects and advan tages will become apparent from the following description of an apparatus embodying the invention, which should be read with the understanding that the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts may be varied, within the limits of the claims heretov appended, without departing from the s irit of the invention as set forth in said c aims.

The apparatus herein described and illustrated comprises a machine capable bf receiving a sheet or strip of metal and continuously winding it helicall into tubular form. The opposite edges of tie sheet, meeting to form a joint extending helically around the formed pipe, may be oined together, to make a rigid scam, 'in any suitable manner, but in as much as the manner of such joining forms no part of the present invention, I have shown no means for accomplishing it.

\Vith this in view, a preferred embodiment of my present invention will now be described fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of the complete machine.

Figs. 2 and '3 are sections taken on the lines 2-2 and and 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the pipe guide seen at the bottom of Fig. 1. 1

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the feed mechanism, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectionaldetail taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.-

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic section, enlarged, showing the contact of the sheet with the bending rolls.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates the sheet of metal, and 11 is the pipe formd therefrom. The main frame of the'machine consists of a base 12, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, from which rise three inverted yoke like structures 13, 14 and 15. A feed mechanism for the sheet 10 is mounted independently. of said main frame. This feed mechanism may be constructed in any suitable manner, and as an example thereof I have shown in Figs. 1 and 5, a pair of rolls 16, between which the sheet 10 passes, and by which it is fed forwardly. Intei-meshing pinions 17 connect the rolls 16, and suitable 'drive gearing is indicated at 18, in Fig. 1.

The rolls 16 may be mounted in any suitable frame, not shown. Means are also provided for guiding the sheet from the feed rolls 16 to the bending mechanism. Any suitable guiding means may be used, and as an example thereof I have indicated a series of rolls 19, Fig. 1, positioned to contact with the forward edge 10 of the sheet.

The two rear yokes 13 and 14 of the main frame support bearings, indicated at 20 in Fig. 3, for an elongated roll 21, whose forward end overhangs and extends forwardly of the forward frame yoke 15. The sheet 10 passes over this roll, and is bent over and around it, as shown in Fi s. 2 and 7 An additional bearing is provi ed for said roll 21, comprising a bracket 22, Fi s. 1 and 2, having a socket in which the re 1 revolves. The outer end of said bracket. is bolted to a rigid plate 23 extending between the yokes 14 and 15. This bearing is positioned at such a point that it will be cleared by the rear edge 10 of the sheet. Since the roll 21, lying inside the pipe 11, is unsupported from this hearing forwardly, said bearing should be set as close to the edge 10 as possible. of the bracket 22, projecting inwardly from the right hand side of the machine, Fig. 2, and lying at the same height as-the roll 21, al-

, lows it to be positioned at the least possible ing rollers, each comprising a shaft 25 and a The arrangement button-like head 26 on its lower end ada ted to bear against the u per surface of the s eet 10. The roller sha s 25 preferably have worm gears 27 on their upper ends, all of which are simultaneously riven by worms 28 on a horizontal shaft 29.

The yokes 14 and 15 support a second orizontal beam 30, Figs. 1 and 2, in which. are

' mounted a second series of bending rollers having shafts 31 inclined to the shafts 25 and button heads 32 at their lower ends, similar to those described above. These shafts 31 are also preferably provided with worm wheels 33 which are all driven by worms 34 on a horizontal shaft 35. A system of gearing 36, Fig. 3, connects the roll 21 and the roller shafts 29 and 35 together for simultaneous operation, the driving power bein supplied from any suitable source, not s own.

The above described rollers are so positioned that their button heads 26 and 32 bear upon the surface of the sheet 10 at one edge only, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7 These rollers rotate counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, so that the combined effect of their rotation and the rotation of the roll 21 is to advance the sheet in the direction of its len h. The sheet is bent over the roll 21, an it slips endwise off said roll as it advances.

In order to provide for making pipe of various diameters, the beam 30 is ad ustable toward or away from the center axis of the pipe. For this purpose said beam is carried 11 on slide blocks, one of which is shown at 3? in Fig. 6, and which are slidable in guideways 38 in the arms of the yokes 14 and 15. Screws 39, provided with hand-wheels 40, Figs. 1 and 2, efiect the raising and lowering of the blocks 37 and the beam 30. The shaft 35 has a bearing at 41, Figs. 1 and 3, in a slide block 42 mounted in the rear yoke 13, and this block is also provided with a screw and hand wheel exactly similar to those described, so that said shaft may be kept in proper alignment.

Any change in the diameter of the pipe formed or in the width of the sheet, necessitates a change in the angle of feed between said sheet and the axis of the pipe. To accomplish this, I refer to mount the entire frame of the mac ine upon a pivot 43, Figs. 1 and 2, which is directly beneath the point at which the edges 10 and 10 of the sheet come together in forming the pipe. The feed mechanism carrying the rolls 16 being fixed in position, the main frame of the bending mechanism can be swung about said pivot .43, by any suitable means not shown, to

change the angle of feed.

A guide, Figs. 1 and 4, is provided for the formed pipe, comprising a base 44 connected with the end of the main frame by plates 45, and a triangular frame 46 having three caster rollers 47 which bear upon and follow. the advancing movement of the pipe. The two lower caster rollers are adjustable up and down, to accommodate various sizes of pipes, by being mounted infslide blocks 48 which are movable in the legs of the frame 46 by means of screws 49. This guide supports the formed portion'of the pipe in the proper relation to thebeliding rolls, thus insuring the accurate meeting of the edges 10 and 10 to form the helical seam.

In operating the machine, it is desirable to rotate the long inside roller 21 at a surface speed somewhat greater than the normal transverse speed of the sheet 10, so that a slight slip occurs between said roller and the under surface of the sheet. This slip not only reduces the friction of the endwise slip of the sheet over said roller, but also tends to draw the sheet away from the guide rollers 19, thereby reducing friction and preventing it from jamming and buckling. This difference in speed of the roller 21 is best provided by suitably proportioning the gearing 36.

It will be observed that the bendingof the sheet into tubular form is accomplished by a plurality of rollers, one of which (the long roller 21) is parallelto the axis of the formed tube, and others of which, viz: those formed by the shafts 2'5 and 31 with their heads 36 and 32, are positioned with their ends hearing against the surface of the sheet and their axes angularly related thereto. These latter rollers, having their ends (the heads 26 and 32) hearing againstthe sheet at oneedge only and being rotated in the proper direction, not only bend the sheet over the long roller 21, but advance it as well in the direction of its length.

1 claim v 1. A spiral pipe machine comprising a roller over which a sheet is bent and wound helically into tubular form; and a plurality of rollers positioned with their ends bearing against the outer surface of the sheet to bend it over the first mentioned roller.

2. A spiral pipe machine comprising a plurality of rollers for winding :1- sheet helically into tubular form, some of said rollers being positioned with their ends hearing against the surface of the sheet.

3. A spiral pipe machine comprisin a plurality of rollers for bending and WlIlCllIlg a sheet helically into tubular form, some of said rollers being positioned with their ends bearing against the surface of the sheet and their axes inclined with respect to lines perpendicular to the sheet at the points of contact with said rollers.

4. In a spiral pipe machine, means for bending and winding a sheet helically into tubular form, said means including a series of rollers bearing against the sheet and arranged in a row substantially arallel with the line of bending thereof, sai rollers having their ends bearing against the surface of the sheet. 1

.5. A, spiral pipe machine comprising a roller over which a sheet is bent and wound helicallyv into tubular form; and a series of rollers for bending said sheet over the first roller, said rollers being positioned with their ends bearing against the surface of the sheet and their axes inclined with respect to lines perpendicular to the sheet at the points of contact with said rollers.

6. In a spiral pipe machine, means for bending and Winding a sheet helically into tubular form, said means including a roller having its end bearing against the surface of the sheet and positioned with its axis angularly related thereto, and means for rotating said roller to assist in feeding the sheet.

7. In a spiral pipe machine, means for bending and winding a sheet helically into tubular form, said means including a beam substantially parallel with the axis of the formed pipe, a plurality of rollers mounted in said beam with their axes angularly related to the surface of the sheet, and means for moving said beam toward or away from the axisof the formed pipe.

8. In a spiral pipe machine, means for bending and winding a sheet helically into tubular form, said means including a beam substantially parallel with the axis of the formed pipe, a plurality of rollers mounted in said beam with their axes angularly related to the surface of the sheet, and means for rotating said rollers to assist in feeding the sheet.

9. A spiral pipe machine comprising a member over which a sheet is bent and wound helically into tubular form; a pair of beams substantially parallel with the line of bending of the sheet; a series of rollers carried by each beam, said rollers being positioned to bear against the surface of the sheet with their axes angularly related thereto; and means for moving one of said beams toward or away from the axis of the formed pipe.

10. A spiral pipe machine comprising a roller over which a sheet is bent and wound helically into tubular form; a pair of beams substantially parallel with said roller; a series of rollers carried by each beam, the rollers of said series being positioned to bear against the surface of the sheet with their axes angularly related thereto; and means for rotating said rollers in timed relation to assist in feeding the sheet.

11. A machine for making spiral pipe comprising a plurality of rollers for winding a sheet helically into tubular form; means for feeding said sheet to said Winding rollers; means for guiding the formed tube; and means permitting a variation in the angular relation between said feeding means and the axis of the formed tube about the point, as

sheet first meet.

12; A machine for making 5 iral pipe comrisin a plurality of rollers or continuousy ben in and winding a sheet helically into orm; and a plurality of rollers tubular adapted to bear against and guide the formed tube after it leaves said bending rollers. v

13. A machine for making spiral pipe com,

prising a plurality of rollers for continuously bending and winding a sheethelically into,

tubular form; a plurality of rollers adapted to bear against and guide the formed tube, after it leaves said bending rollers ;.and pive otal mountings for said guide rollers adapt-g ing them to track upon the helically advancing tube.

14. A machine for making spiral pipe comprising a plurality of rollers for continuously bending and winding a sheet helically into tubular form; means for moving said rollers toward or away from each other to vary the diameter of the formed tube; a plurality of guide rollers adapted to bear against the formed tube after it leaves said bending rollers; and means for moving said guide rollers toward and away from each other to accommodate tubes of various diameters.

15. A machine for making spiral pipe comprising a frame; means carried thereby for continuously bending and winding a sheet helically into tubular form; means carried by said frame for guiding the formed tube after it leaves said bending means; means for feeding the sheet to said bending means; and means permitting a variation in the angular relation between said feeding means and said frame.

16. A spiral pipe machine comprising means for feeding a sheet; a roller; means for bending the sheet over said roller and winding it helically into tubular form thereabout, the winding sheet slipping endwise off said roller; means for driving said feeding means; and means for driving said roller at a speed different from the normal transverse speed of the sheet to produce a transverse slip between it and said sheet.

17 A spiral pipe machine comprising a roller; a bearing at one end portion of said roller, its other end being free; means for bending a sheet over said roller and winding it helically thereabout into tubular form, the formed tube slipping olf the free end of said .roller; and an auxiliary bearing for said roller positioned beneath the sheet while on said roller and adjacent the rear edge of the helically winding portion thereof.

18.. A spiral pipe machine comprising a frame; a member carried thereby over which a sheet is bent and wound helically into tubular form; asupporting member having a 'slidable mounting in said frame adapting it" for movement toward and away from the axis of the formed tube while on the first mentioned member; and a roller carried by said supporting member and adapted to bear against the sheet to assist the bending thereof.

19. A spiral pipe machine comprising a frame having spaced arms; a member over which a sheet is bent and wound helically into tubular form; a fixed supporting member carried by one of said frame arms; a movable supporting member having a slidable mounting in the other frame arm adapting it for movement toward and away from the axis of the formed tube while on the first mentioned member; and rollers carried by said supporting members for bending said sheet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

KARL JOHAN THORSBY. 

